'Hanukkah sides' on Serious Eats

Chicken livers mashed with onions and schmaltz are a Jewish deli staple that has a tendency to beg the question, "what am I, chopped liver?" Because, well, chopped liver isn't usually all that thrilling. But with chicken livers come a world of delicious possibilities, like these genius Chicken Liver Crostini from Kosher Revolution. More

This salad is essentially two recipes in one: the cumin roasted carrots and the salad. On their own the carrots are exciting; eoasting brings out their sweetness but the mashed cumin, chile, garlic and thyme paste that they're roasted in brings out a level of worldliness not often seen in a carroty side. More

Feel free to vary the flavorings as desired. Omit ginger and thyme and replace with other herbs or spices (orange zest works well, as does star anise, fennel, chilies, etc.). For tips on how to cut carrots, check out our Knife Skills: Carrots, and for ginger, our Knife Skills: Ginger guides. More

My favorite way to cook leeks as the main ingredient in a dish is to braise them. They retain their subtly aroma but acquire a completely tender, almost meaty texture as they slowly break down and absorb liquid. More

This colorful side dish is a study in contrasts. Braising cabbage in apple cider brings out its natural sweetness, while finishing it with apple cider vinegar adds a pleasing acidity. Thin sticks of gala apples adds a bit of crunch and tart flavor, while raisins absorb the cider to become sweet and plump. This dish pairs perfectly with a glass of cloudy, straw-colored hefeweizen. More

I used to really, truly loathe this dish. It was the one thing I wouldn't touch on my Passover plate. Anyone else? But this version adds a touch of honey to highlight the carrots' natural sweetness and spices like cardamom to give the dish more dimension. More

This recipe with white beans is probably my favorite farro salad yet. The creamy beans play a huge role in that, along with the sweet tender leeks and fresh parsley. But it's the chunks of salty, citrusy preserved lemon, a condiment often used in Moroccan cooking, that really takes this salad to the next level. More

The real story here is the cumin vinaigrette which is laced into every bite of this salad. It's a heady combination of toasted cumin seeds, black pepper, and oregano, all smashed together with garlic, good olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's a little bit Mediterranean, a little bit Middle Eastern, and it does wondrous things to the chickpeas. More

I haven't exactly been clamoring to get wheat berries in my life, but it was still cool to finally make their acquaintance. This recipe from Chow features the grain in a summery little salad with currants, pistachios, and some spicy harissa. The wheat berries are simply cooked until tender in simmering water, which should take less than an hour. They come out kind of tasting like couscous, meaning they still have a little bite to them. More

This is an old Hungarian recipe (called Krow Pletzla in Hungarian Yiddish) that's the Passover version of cabbage and noodles. Author of Jewish Home Cooking and many other wonderful cookbooks, Arthur Schwartz makes this for Passover with little pieces of matzo farfel, which resemble noodles—actually spaetzle—and tosses them with well-wilted cabbage and onions. More

Arthur "The Food Maven" Schwartz has written many, many wonderful cookbooks, including Jewish Home Cooking,. In this recipe for potato kugel (which he said he's planning to make for this year's Passover Seder) his secret to a fluffy, non-gluey batch is using an inordinate number of eggs. That and using Russet potatoes. "The ticket to kugel lightness," he swears. More

Note: Michael Natkin of the vegetarian blog Herbivoracious drops by on Wednesdays to share a delicious recipe and expand our vegetarian repertoire. If you haven't had Israeli couscous before, you are in for a treat. Known as P'titim in Israel,... More

[Photograph: Blake Royer] When cauliflower hits a hot, oil-slicked skillet and is allowed to caramelize, it develops a wonderful savory, nutty flavor that puts it among my favorite vegetables. Since the first time I realized this, I've never been tempted... More

This recipe, adapted from Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America, comes straight from one of my favorite breakfast or brunch spots in New York, Barney Greengrass. There they make this recipe with sturgeon, nova (smoked salmon), and even whitefish. I... More

Christians have Blitzen; Jews have blintzes. Close, but not quite the same thing. The first is a reindeer, while the second is a traditional Jewish dish in which thin pancakes encase a creamy filling of cheese or fruit. I think... More

Passover always puts me in a Moonstrips frame of mind. What are Moonstrips? They're onion and poppy-flavored matzos made by Streit's and they are the tastiest matzos ever. They don't make a kosher for Passover version, but this matzo brei... More